Investigators: Morgan County couple murdered Monday evening

Authorities say it looks like someone broke into the home of an elderly couple found murdered in their home in Ivy Bend, near the Lake of the Ozarks.

Morgan County Sheriff Jim Petty says 73-year-old Mae Wells and 82-year-old Wayne Wells were each shot multiple times. They were found after a neighbor went to check on them Tuesday morning. Petty believes the murders happened Monday evening.

Autopsies were scheduled for today in Jefferson City.

Deputies don’t know if an incident in the same area investigated on Tuesday evening is related. A man reported his pistol had been stolen a week ago. While talking with a neighbor about that incident, deputies saw a young man run into the woods. He was caught and found to have self-inflicted knife wounds.

Authorities plan to question him about whether he was involved in the break in or shootings.